Shikaeshi
by Gemini1
Summary: Weiss must fight a terrorist group that sets out to destroy Kritiker and has links to Ran's past and the fatal choice made by his father.
1. Shikaeshi, Part 1-Korat's Return

  
**Shikaeshi, Part 1**   
_I don't own Weiss, Koyasu Takehito-sama and a few others do. _

* * *

  
"We are pleased to announce the arrival of Lufthansa flight LH710 from Frankfurt at Gate 2-D95." The message was repeated in Japanese and then the announcer switched to German, effortlessly gliding over the guttural language as if it was her native tongue. Manx took a final drink from her martini glass and rose, leaving a few yen notes under her glass for the bartender. He caught her eye as she left and she winked, smiling slyly as he blushed. She had been waiting in the airport bar for at least an hour and the attractive young man had proven to be a fun diversion.   
  
As she made her way through the throngs of people, towards the customs desk, her mind clicked from pleasure to business, her eyes searching for the person she was supposed to meet. Three flights had arrived at the same time and the customs agents had their hands full, checking passports and searching bags, their faces expressionless as the people grumbled and tapped their feet in irritation. Annoyance was the same in any language.   
  
Manx fished a picture out of her coat pocket, studying the face of the young woman she was supposed to meet. Her name, she had been told, was inconsequential. The dour middle aged man from Kritiker had instructed Manx to refer to the woman as Korat. Another cat name, Manx had thought with amusement, and not the prettiest one either. All the nice cat names must be taken.   
  
Her eyes flickered from the picture to the people in the crowds, studying all the young women who passed by. After a while, her head began to ache, a sharp pain right behind her eyes from the strain of staring. She rubbed her eyes and continued looking, hoping the woman would show up soon. And then her gaze landed on the woman who must be Korat.   
  
Ebony hair was twisted into a loose chignon, wisps framing a heart shaped face. Sunglasses blocked a view of her eyes and her full mouth was pursed in annoyance. Her slim body was clothed in a long black jacket, jeans and a black turtleneck. She was carrying a large shoulder bag and dragging two suitcases behind her. The hem of what was probably a shirt hung out of one of the cases, protesting to its recent violation by the customs officials. Manx walked swiftly towards her, making sure the woman saw her coming.   
  
"Korat?" Manx asked, extending her hand to take one of the bags. The woman nodded and gave the red head one of the large suitcases.   
  
"I haven't heard that name for a while." The woman said, swinging the smaller bag back over her shoulder. Manx smiled and waved her in the direction of the shuttles that ran every ten minutes to all the parking areas.   
  
They waited in silence for the shuttle to arrive, and didn't speak again until they were seated in the shuttle car, speeding along like a bullet through dark tunnels. Manx cleared her throat and spoke up.   
  
"We found you an apartment, it's in a building near Azabu Juban St., around the Australian and Italian Embassies."   
  
"In Minato-ku, right?"   
  
Manx nodded. "Right. Morimoto was rather insistent that we find you an apartment around there."   
  
Korat smiled and stretched, pulling her arms behind her head with a relieved sigh. "So, Morimoto is in charge now, huh? Estet really did wipe out our people down here."   
  
"Do you know Morimoto?" Manx asked, curiously.   
  
Korat laughed. "Unfortunately. He trained with…" Her smile faded and she looked over at Manx with a slight frown. She pushed up her sunglasses, revealing almond shaped green eyes, shot with flecks of gold. But her eyes weren't angry, like Manx had feared, rather they were sad looking. "You were Taka…Persia's secretary, weren't you?" She asked.   
  
Manx nodded and cast her eyes downward, suddenly fascinated with a button on her sleeve. The pain of his death hadn't diminished over the past year, and each mention of his name tore open her wounds again.   
  
"I was sorry to hear that he died." Korat said, leaning back against the glass window of the shuttle. Her companion remained silent.   
  
The shuttle came to a smooth stop and the doors opened with a chime. Manx rose and grabbed the handle of the heavy suitcase. "This is our stop."   
  
The small sports car sped through the expressway, heading into Tokyo. Korat stared out the window at the city. "It's only been about three or four years since I left…but the city seems different somehow…" Her voice trailed off. Suddenly, she changed gears and addressed Manx. "So, did Morimoto tell you why he summoned me back to Japan?" She asked.   
  
Manx gestured to a small portfolio stuck in between the passenger seat and console. "That's what he told me to give you."   
  
She grabbed the envelope and inspected its contents, a frown creasing her forehead.   
  
"Well…shit."   
  
Manx threw her a curious glance. "What?"   
  
Korat flipped a few more pages, reading quickly. "This says that there have been attacks on Kritiker members all over Japan…starting in Kobe and then spreading all the way to Yokohama.   
  
Manx nodded. "Strangely enough, no one was killed, whoever is doing this apparently was only interested in information. They've managed to steal files and computer disks containing a lot of sensitive information."   
  
Korat muttered an oath and stuffed all the pages, save one, back into the envelope. "Yeah, but that's not what bothers me." She said, staring at the single sheet of paper.   
  
"Well?" Manx asked.   
  
Korat sighed and waved the paper. "This says that I am to work with a group called Weiss. I don't recognize three of the names, but I do know one. And I don't think Fujimiya Ran will be very happy to see me. It would be best if he didn't."   
  
***Notes, Explanations, Etc.***   
  
Well, I tried to do some research into modern Japan. The airport Korat arrives at is Narita Airport. It's about 60km from central Tokyo, that's about 37 miles or so. I don't remember why I chose Narita, but I had a powerfully good reason at the time. I started writing this back in January, so I don't quite remember all of my reasoning. I can tell you one thing, it's strangely FUN to look at real estate listings for Tokyo. The apartment building Korat lives in actually exists. It seems very nice. I would live there. :) I did find the link again, if you want to see, just for fun. I liked Type A best.   
Korat's Apartment   
Oh, and a small note on korats. The CFA (Cat Fancier's Association) says that a korat is a short haired, silver-blue cat with luminous green eyes, a heart shaped face and is native to Thailand, where it is considered good luck because of its silver coloring. I've seen pictures and it is a very cute cat. I want one! :) 


	2. Shikaeshi, Part 2-New Mission

  
**Shikaeshi, Part 2**   
_Weiss belongs to Koyasu Takehito-sama (WAI!)and some other people. But not me. ;.;_

* * *

  
"What?! Why you creep!" The attractive young woman was apparently not impressed with Youji's proposal, punctuating her displeasure with a hard slap to his face that knocked his sunglasses off, sending them bouncing onto the counter. She turned and left, slamming the door shut after her.   
  
"Youji, that was the third sale we lost this week thanks to you!" Ken exclaimed from behind a huge pot of freesia, where he was currently weeding out dead stems.   
  
Ran turned off the watering hose and leveled Youji with a scornful stare. "I warn you, Kudou, one more lost sale and you'll be doing inventory in the back forever."   
  
Youji made a face at both of them and retrieved his sunglasses, which were thankfully in one piece. "I can't help the fact that the lady was a prude." He said, checking his face in a mirror he kept beneath the counter.   
  
"Maa…maa…maybe she was only looking." Omi piped up from the front, where he was sweeping. "It's no big deal."   
  
Behind him, the three other members of Weiss grumbled and then returned to work.   
  
The bell on the door tinkled and Omi rushed to greet the customer.   
  
"Welcome to…." His greeting died. Manx greeted him with a smile, ignoring the look that flashed over his face. He didn't seem pleased to see her, not that she blamed him. She never brought good news and today was no different.   
  
"Hello boys, long time no see." She said cheerfully.   
  
"Mission?" Ran asked tonelessly.   
  
Manx nodded. "And how. There's a problem that we need to discuss. Why don't you close up shop?"   
  
Omi flipped the open sign to closed and Ken went to turn off the lights.   
  
None of the members of Weiss said a word as they waited for Manx to begin. It had been months since their last mission and they had foolishly begun to hope that maybe they would be free.   
  
"I have some news. Kritiker has assigned another agent to help you all deal with this mission." Manx said, leaning against the banister of the spiral staircase.   
  
"It must be important." Ken said, looking up at Manx with interest.   
  
The redhead nodded, "The entire existence of Kritiker and the lives of its agents are at stake." She produced a tape and popped it into the VCR. Omi leapt up and flipped out the lights and the boys waited apprehensively for the tape to begin. There was a hiss and a few seconds of black and white static before an unidentifiable figure appeared on tape. It was almost like Persia, except this figure was slimmer and sat with a relaxed air in a large chair.   
  
"Good afternoon, Weiss. My name is Korat and I will be helping you with your mission. Here's the information we have managed to gather." She began in a strident but markedly female voice. The members of Weiss exchanged brief glances before returning their attention to the television.   
  
The screen went white and then a picture of a handsome young man appeared on the screen. Hard gray eyes glared out of the screen, framed by long black hair. Korat continued to explain. "This man's name is Kuro Akira. He is a former Kritiker agent who disappeared four years ago after betraying us. He has resurfaced as the leader of a terrorist group called Koketsu. Under his leadership, the group has attacked Kritiker bases in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Yokohama. They appear to be interested strictly in information and so far have left Kritiker members incapacitated, but not dead."   
  
The screen went blank again and then four pictures appeared. Three men and a woman. The three men were ordinary looking, but the woman was beautiful, with long glossy brown hair and bright brown eyes. She smiled coyly from the screen, red, pouty lips and an alluring gaze seeming to promise a pleasurable time. Yohji let out a wolf whistle. "I'll handle her!" He exclaimed, leaning closer to the screen. The other members of Weiss rolled their eyes.   
  
"These four people are Kuro's top agents. They implement his commands, having control over the fifty or so members of Koketsu. Their names are Kano Seiji, Arato Kei, Genji Hideo and the woman's name is Fujiwara Reiko. Weiss, your mission is this, eliminate these four and break the back of Koketsu. Kritiker is depending on you." The tape ended.   
  
Manx flipped the lights on. "Who's game?" She asked cheerfully. One by one, all four of the men agreed and Manx passed out folders containing the necessary information.   
  
"Hey Manx?" Yohji said when she handed him a folder.   
  
"What?" She asked, looking at him warily.   
  
"That Korat chick…is she hot?"   
  
Manx swatted him with the folder before tossing it onto his lap.   
  
"What?" He asked, rubbing his head.   


* * *

  
Korat rubbed her forehead with exhaustion as she set down the phone. Manx had just reported that Weiss had accepted the mission. The first step had been taken. The living room suddenly seemed too bright, too confining. She turned and rushed to the bathroom, turning on the cold water full blast and splashing her face with it. Gods, she was tired. She looked up at herself in the mirror and frowned. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin looked pasty in the harsh illumination. She looked older than her thirty-one years.   
  
Kuro Akira. When was the last time she had seen him? She closed her eyes.   
  
When she opened them she was four years younger, staring at herself in the mirror of someone else's bathroom. There was a rustle behind her and Akira appeared, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. "Hey, Hanae…what do you want to do tonight?" He murmured.   
  
She blinked and she was back in her own bathroom. She had been such a fool. She was a trained spy and yet she couldn't even see what he was doing to her. Irritably, she swiped at her face with a hand towel and marched through her living room into the master bedroom. She slammed the door behind her and flopped into bed. Four years and his eyes still haunted her dreams.   
  
Her hand made its way to her neck, fingering the long scar that circled the pale flesh. A reminder of him and how close she had been to death. She sighed. Four years and she had come full circle. Kuro Akira's days on earth were marked.   


* * *

  
"Good afternoon, Ran-san…I'll tell your father you're here!" The pretty young secretary greeted sixteen-year-old Ran Fujimiya as he entered his father's office suite. A moment later, the door opened and his father came out, smiling at his son. Ran rushed to greet him. "Father!" His smile turned to an expression of horror as his father's chest blossomed red with blood.   
  
"You have fulfilled your mission well, Abyssinian." The young secretary said with a smirk. Ran looked down at his hands and realized that he was holding his sword and that it was streaked with his father's blood. He opened his mouth to protest, to scream, but nothing came out. The secretary leaned towards him conspiratorially, "You know, he never suspected a thing. Congratulations." Ran opened his mouth again and this time, he did scream.   
  
"Ran! RAN!"   
  
He sat up suddenly, eyes wide with horror. "I…I killed him! She said… she said I did a good job…"   
  
Ken and Omi exchanged worried looks. "Who said you did a good job?" Ken asked gently, laying a hand on the red head's shoulder.   
  
Ran blinked. "Masako-san." He whispered.   
  
This time, Omi was the one who asked the question. "Who is Masako?"   
  
"She is…was…my father's secretary. Takatori killed her too." Ran looked at both of them, realizing that he had been having a nightmare. "Never mind." He muttered.   
  
Ken and Omi seemed to realize that he wanted to be alone and they retreated, leaving him to think.   
  
Why did I think about Masako? I haven't thought about her in years… He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging gently on the longer strands in front. Something about this afternoon had made him uneasy…   
  
"Good afternoon, Weiss…"   
"Good afternoon, Ran-san…"   
That woman…Korat…her voice…he could almost swear it was the same voice that greeted him warmly whenever he called his father's office.   
  
He shook his head. Impossible. Narita Masako had died four years ago. It couldn't be… Ran did not sleep the rest of that night.   


* * *

  
Notes, Explanations, Etc.   
How many WK stories begin with Youji getting slapped for propositioning some woman? Hee hee. Okay, let's see...   
Dictionary of Japanese Terms...   
Maa..maa..-Think of it as saying, Ok, ok...it's sort of a calming noise. Kenshin from RK says it A LOT!   
Koketsu means tiger's den, dangerous place, jaws of death   
Hanae is Korat's real name. It's pretty, ne?   
I'm messing with the WK world a bit, but it's never really explained in the anime why Ran's parents died. All you know is that his father crossed Takatori somehow and the entire family ended up paying for it. So, I'm going to play with that some. More installments soon! 


	3. Shikaeshi, Part 3-Fateful Meeting

  
**Shikaeshi, Part 3**   
_I don't own Weiss. If I did, there would be more nudity. ^.^_   


* * *

  
The tak tak of fingers hitting the keyboard greeted Ran as he made his way down the spiral staircase the next afternoon. Omi was working on the new mission.   
  
"Omi? Could you do me a favor?"   
  
The young man turned and regarded him with a curious expression. "What?"   
  
"Could you look something up for me? A name?" Omi nodded. "Sure thing. What's the name and what do you want to know?"   
  
Ran knelt down by the boy and murmured a name. "Narita Masako. She'd be about thirty now, I think. And I want to know everything."   
  
If Omi recognized the name from the night before, he did not mention it. Instead, he opened up a search engine and began looking for information. Almost immediately, two notices popped up.   
  
"Here's an obituary, and a small piece on her death in Yomiuri."   
  
Ran nodded. "I know about those. What about family? A death certificate? Things like that."   
  
Omi typed more commands into the computer, opening a different search engine. Nothing came up.   
  
"That's weird." Omi murmured to himself.   
  
"What?" Ran was anxious. He had a feeling…something wasn't right.   
  
"Well, except for those two notices, there isn't anything else about her. It's almost like she never existed…no birth or death certificates, no credit reports, no police record, she never paid taxes or rented an apartment…nothing at all."   
  
A chill swept through the red head, a though settling in his mind, too disturbing to ignore. "Check one more thing for me." He said quietly.   
  
Omi waited, fingers poised above the keys.   
  
"Check the Kritiker database."   
  
Omi looked sharply up at Ran, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Ran- san, you know I can't just randomly search Kritiker files."   
  
"Just do it. If you get in trouble, I'll tell them I made you." The implication was clear. If he didn't, Ran _would_ make him.   
  
Omi sighed and opened up a connection to the Kritiker high security database. He maneuvered through several firewalls before reaching the main system. Hesitating slightly, he entered Masako's name into the search box. The computer searched for a few seconds and then began flashing a message.   
  
ACCESS DENIED. LEVEL 1 CLEARANCE ONLY   
  
Omi looked up at Ran with wide eyes. "Whoever this person was, Ran- san, she caught the attention of Kritiker."   
  
The red head's face was closed as he carefully asked, "What is level 1 clearance?"   
  
"Highest level clearance. Someone like Persia would have had access to it. I could try to get in, but the security is tighter and I would probably get caught." Omi replied uneasily.   
  
Ran nodded. "Don't worry about it." He said and turned away, walking quickly up the stairs and out of sight.   


* * *

  
Manx looked at her watch again, feeling a slight stirring of irritation. Damn that Ran, she thought, he asked for this meeting and now he's late!   
  
The children's playground where he had demanded they meet was deserted in early evening. The wind played gently with the merry-go- round and swings, making it seem as though invisible hands moved them. Manx shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.   
  
"Who is Korat?"   
  
Manx stifled a shriek and turned to where Ran had seemingly materialized, placing a hand above her hammering heart. "For the love of…you scared me to death!" She exclaimed, taking a deep breath to slow her heart rate.   
  
He didn't acknowledge her, repeating the question instead. "Who is Korat?"   
  
She placed her hands on her hips and gave him an irritated look. "You know I can't tell you that!" She hissed.   
  
He took a step forward and glared at her. "I'll tell you what I think," he began, his voice low and dangerous, "I think her name is Narita Masako and that she had something to do with my parent's deaths."   
  
Manx shook her head. "I don't know anything about that." She said evasively.   
  
"Maybe you don't…but she does. I want to meet with her."   
  
She again shook her head. "I can't do that. Weiss is not to have contact with her, except through me."   
  
He took another step forward. His posture was menacing and for a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if he was going to hurt her. "Ran…I'm sorry…but I can't tell you anything." She stood her ground, arms crossed.   
  
"Call her."   
  
She looked at him, surprised. "What?"   
  
"Call her and tell her that I want to meet with her."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"It is imperative that I speak with her…about the mission." He added as an afterthought.   
  
Manx raised an eyebrow. "You can talk to me about the mission." She said.   
  
He clenched his fists. "Please…" He grated out. "Call her. Tell her that I want to meet her."   
  
Her eyes widened. Had he just said please? She was now intrigued enough to do him the favor of calling Korat. "All right." She said after a moment's hesitation. "I'll call her. But if she refuses to meet with you then that's it, okay?"   
  
He nodded and crossed his arms, waiting while she fumbled through her purse, finally producing a tiny cell phone from its depths with a triumphant noise. She turned her back on him and dialed a number, seemingly from memory and, after a moment's pause, began talking in a low, rapid voice. Finally, she turned around and gave him a slight nod. "She says she'll meet with you."   
  
Fifteen minutes later, Ran was in his car driving fast along the Shuto Expressway towards Azabu Juban Street. A small piece of paper with Korat's address scrawled on it was clutched in his hand. His assumption must be correct, he mused, since she had agreed to meet with him.   
  
She lived in a fairly new building situated next to a lush park. It was well secured and no doubt rather expensive. Idly he wondered where Kritiker got the money to pay for things like this. A large, stern looking doorman let him in with no explanation. Either security here was more lax than he thought or he knew that a guest was expected. Probably the latter. He walked into the bright, well-lit lobby, past the 24-hour convenience store with its garish advertisements for ramen and candy, and marched to the bank of elevators, punching the up button with a vengeance.   
  
Korat's apartment was eight floors up, occupying a corner of the building that looked out towards Tokyo Tower. He hesitated only slightly before knocking forcefully.   
  
The door opened and he knew in a split second that his hunch had been correct. She looked a little older, more tired, but there was no doubt in his mind that this woman had once been Narita Masako, his father's secretary.   
  
"Good evening, Ran-san." She said, stepping aside to let him in.   
  
He saw red. He grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall. "Why aren't you dead?" He hissed. For a moment, her clear green eyes widened with shock and fear, but just as quickly, they narrowed. Her grasping hands reached out and grabbed onto his shoulders, supporting her as her right leg swung forward and kicked him hard in the groin. When Ran saw red again, it was for a different reason.   
  
He dropped her and sunk to the ground, silent in his agony. Massaging her neck, she stepped past him and shut the door. "It's good to see you, too." She said, her voice heavy with sarcasm.   
  
"Masako…you bitch…" He wheezed, standing up.   
  
She led him into the living room and indicated where he should sit, watching with an amused glint in her eyes as he gingerly sat down on her overstuffed couch trying desperately not to wince.   
  
"My name isn't Masako, it's Hanae. Shiro Hanae. And I only kicked you in the balls because you were choking me. Tit for tat. Would you like some ice?"   
  
He shook his head and she plopped down on the large wing chair beside him. "Now I suppose you'll be demanding answers." She said, leaning her head back and studying the ceiling. "I told Morimoto that it would be a mistake to put us together, but he said there was no one left who could understand this case, Estet had killed a number of high ranked operatives, so… here I am and there you are." She finished her sentence with a sigh and studied her hands, waiting for him to say something.   
  
"Does this new case have anything to do with my parents?" He asked her, amethyst eyes boring into her. She shifted uneasily. "Yes and no."   
  
He leaned forward, not breaking his gaze for one second. "Explain."   
  
She blew her bangs out of her eyes and fiddled with a button on her sleeve, not sure how to address the issue. "Well…," she cleared her throat. "Your father had the misfortune of being an honest man in a dishonest business. Kritiker approached him about a year before he died, asking him to become an informant for us. Takatori Reiji was running an embezzling scam with the bank Fujimiya-san worked for and he was the only man at his level who wasn't on Takatori's payroll. After some convincing, he agreed and we arranged for his former secretary to `get sick' and then I came in." Her voice took on an almost clinical sound as she described the actions that ultimately led to the destruction of the Fujimiya family. "For almost a year, he provided us with information that directly linked Takatori to millions of yen that disappeared from the bank. But Takatori found out and set us up. He arranged for your father to take the blame and planned out the assassinations of your parents, you, your sister and myself. I was ambushed in my home and nearly killed, I managed to call Persia before I passed out, but he got to your house too late…" She stopped and looked at Ran. His face was pale but the mask was firmly in place. The only indication of his true feelings were his eyes, which blazed with anger.   
  
"What does this have to do with our current mission?" He asked, his voice tight. He had a feeling, but he wanted to be sure.   
  
"The man who betrayed your father and me to Takatori was Kuro Akira." She said. As if with a will of its own, her hand rose up and traced the thin scar on her neck. "Apparently he decided it was worth more to work for the bad guy." For a split second, Akira's face smiled down at her, her own horrified expression mirrored in his empty eyes as he slit her throat. She shuddered and came abruptly back to reality, realizing with irritation that her hand was on her neck. She dropped the offending hand into her lap and focused her attention on Ran, who was sitting on the couch, seething.   
  
"Manx told me that your sister has almost completely recovered, I was relieved to hear that." She said, hoping to turn the tide of the conversation.   
  
"She will never completely recover." He replied in an angry voice. "She lost nearly three years of her life, her parents…"   
  
"And her brother." She finished for him.   
  
He was silent.   
  
Hanae sighed. "Why don't you go home, Ran? I'm tired and you don't look much better." She stood and waited for him to do the same, but he did not. When he at last spoke, his voice was hoarse with fury.   
  
"I thought that when I killed Takatori that I would be free…but I'm not. And, despite my better judgment, all I can think about is hunting down this Kuro Akira and killing him slowly. But it won't help me to sleep at night, and it won't bring back my parents…"   
  
"Or your innocence." Hanae said softly. "I know, Ran. I understand. But killing Kuro isn't your job, it's mine. And becoming an assassin for your sister's sake ended up killing you. But I can't offer you any solace. The guilt never leaves and the dead will always haunt your dreams."   
  
He rose and looked at her. "How do you sleep at night?" He asked.   
  
She smiled. "Badly."   


* * *

  
Kuro Akira scrolled through the document on the screen of his computer and chuckled. This politician was a very bad man with expensive and rather kinky taste. He was certain that there would be some people who would be interested in paying a large amount of money for this information. Still chuckling, he closed the file and opened a new one.   
  
His reading was interrupted by a tap on the door.   
  
"Come in!" He said, a hand sliding under his desk to grasp lightly the handle of a gun he kept there. In his line of work, he could never be too careful. Fujiwara Reiko slunk in, wearing something that left nothing to the imagination. He let go of his gun and leaned back in his chair.   
  
"Reiko, my dear, you look like a very expensive prostitute." Akira said cheerfully. She smiled slyly at him and flipped a large envelope onto his desk.   
  
"And you are my pimp, darling. Here are those surveillance photos you requested. That tacky red head met someone at the airport, and apparently, Kritiker thinks that with this girl, they have a fighting chance against us." Akira slid the large glossy photos from the envelope and studied them carefully. "Hmm…Hanae, you look as good as ever." He mused out loud.   
  
Reiko slid over to his side and gave the photos another look. "Do you know her?" She asked, pouting prettily.   
  
"She's an old friend." He replied. "They really must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if they think she's going to save them." He tossed the photos on his desk and smiled up at Reiko. "They had to ship her off to Europe to avoid a scandal a few years back. Kritiker had her pushing papers in Germany, running surveillance on Estet leaders' dogs." He laughed heartily. Reiko smiled and moved to sit on his lap. She perched precariously on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in to drop small kisses on his neck and ear.   
  
"Reiko, you never nibble my ear like that unless there's bad news." He said, pushing her away, if somewhat reluctantly. "Tell me."   
  
She sighed. "Am I that transparent?" She asked, feigning sadness.   
  
"Almost as transparent as your blouse. Now talk."   
  
She frowned and hopped off of his lap. "Kritiker has authorized your little friend in those photos to use lethal force against us."   
  
Akira looked slightly perturbed. "Hmm…they really are desperate. Who are they using? Crash?"   
  
Reiko shook her head. "Weiss."   
  
"The same Weiss that was responsible for the demise of Estet and Reiji Takatori?" He asked.   
  
"The same."   
  
"Well, shit."   
  
"There's more." Reiko hesitated, biting her lip.   
  
Akira leaned back in his chair again and gestured for her to continue.   
  
"Kuro-sama…does the name Fujimiya mean anything to you?"   
  
"Fujimiya…Fujimiya…sounds awfully familiar." He tapped his forehead with his finger. "Where do I know that name?"   
  
"Four years ago, Kuro-sama. He was the banker you helped Takatori set up." Reiko offered.   
  
"Right, right. Takatori killed him and his family, right?"   
  
"Not entirely. Fujimiya's two children survived. His daughter, Aya, was comatose until a year ago and his son…Ran, he apparently swore revenge on Takatori and was recruited by Kritiker. He's one of their top assassins and he is the leader of Weiss."   
  
Akira sighed and rubbed his eyes. "First Hanae and now this…I swear Reiko, things are just getting way too complicated. I should retire."   


* * *

  
Explanations, Etc.   
Okay, let's see....   
Yomiuri is a newspaper in Tokyo (although I think it has national distrobution)   
Akira's last name is Kuro, which means black   
Hanae (Korat)'s last name is Shiro, which means white.   
Crash is the name of another assassination team run by Kritiker. It's like Weiss. It's from the manga. I think that Ran worked in Crash before he worked in Weiss, but I'm not entirely sure. 


	4. Shikaeshi, Part 4-Koketsu Strikes Again

  
Shikaeshi, Part 4   
Disclaimer: Weiss does not belong to me, sadly enough. If they did, I'd keep them tethered in my closet for emergencies. (Hentai emergencies, ohohohohohhohoooooooo!)   


* * *

  
The warehouse district was silent and deserted, the only thing on the streets was a dense fog that wrapped everything in obscurity. The sudden sound of someone running was the only herald to the large explosion that lit up the night sky as though it were day. The building closest to the water exploded, showering the bay with debris, smoldering with fire. Silhouetted against the fire, a man stumbled out of the building, badly burnt and half dead. He managed to make it to the edge of the property and collapsed against the chain link fence. With the last of his strength, he reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a cell phone, punching in a three digit code before his last breath left him. 

* * *

Korat fumbled for the phone, trying to find it in the dark, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Finally, her hand landed on the handset and she was able to lift it to her ear. "'Lo?" She slurred.   
  
Morimoto's voice boomed over the line, screaming at her, babbling about an explosion.   
  
"What? Wait...Morimoto, can you repeat that?" She asked, suddenly completely awake.   
  
"There was an explosion at our Tokyo warehouse, goddamit! Seven people died! Those bastards from Koketsu stole all the harddrives, killed our people and then blew the building up just to be assholes! WHY AREN'T THEY DEAD KORAT?!" Morimoto howled.   
  
"Just calm down." Korat said, fighting a feeling of nausea. "I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up before he could say anything else and punched in another number. The phone rang half a dozen times before a sleepy female voice answered at the other end.   
  
"Meet me at the office in ten minutes." Korat said in a clipped voice. "There's been an explosion." Her tone of voice left Manx no room for questions. Korat hung up, flipped on her bedside table lamp and began hunting for her pants.   
  
"What a shitty way to begin my day." She muttered. 

* * *

  
  
At three that afternoon, Korat and Manx left Morimoto's office with pounding headaches. The older man had spent the entire day grilling them about Weiss's failure to destroy Koketsu. He was unmoved by Korat's pointing out that she had only given them the orders a few days earlier.   
  
"I WANT KURO AKIRA'S HEAD ON MY DESK BY TOMORROW MORNING!" Morimoto's shrieks chased them out into the hallway.   
  
Korat rubbed her forehead and fumbled in her purse for her sunglasses. "Manx, I want you to call a meeting with Weiss. This evening...let's say 6 o'clock." Sunglasses firmly in place, she gave a fleeting smile to the red head. "I'll be there to give them their mission." 

* * *

Ran took a sip from his glass of iced tea and nodded absently at something his sister said. He was still brooding over his meeting with Hanae and wasn't really paying attention to a word she said.   
  
Aya glared at her brother and decided to catch his attention. "So, I said to him, honey, for 50,000 yen, I'll do anything you want. Thus began my life of prostitution."   
  
Ran's eyebrows raised and he nearly spit out his tea. "Nani?" He sputtered.   
  
Aya grinned and gave one of his eartails a playful tug. "Baka. You weren't paying attention."   
  
He sighed. "Gomen, Aya-chan. I have a lot on my mind."   
  
A look of concern flitted briefly over her face. "Do you want to talk about it, big brother? Or does it have something to do with your ultra secret ninja spy life?" She asked, a teasing tone hiding her concern.   
  
He rolled his eyes. "Aya-chan, there is no ultra secret ninja spy life." He said, sounding harassed.   
  
She frowned. "Right, so you and those other three guys really are florists and the katana you keep next to your bed is just for decoration. Honestly Ran-chan, I'm not a stupid little kid and you don't have to protect me." She huffed.   
  
He sighed again. "Aya," He began, purposely leaving off the -chan, "There are a lot of things about my life during the past couple of years that I don't even want to think about, let alone share them. And as for my current concern, it's nothing for you to worry about."   
  
She glared at him and looked mutinous.   
  
"Why is it that women always look angry in your presence, Fujimiya?" A smooth male voice intoned. Youji grinned at them both and slid into the booth next to Aya. "Hello, Aya-chan...you look gorgeous as usual." He said with a flirtatious wink. She smiled at him warmly.   
  
Across the table, Ran was directing daggers from his eyes that promised certain death. Youji glanced at him and did a double-take, lifting up his sunglasses to get the full effect of the death glare. "Ouch, Ran-san. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under." He said. He turned and gave Aya another wide smile. "However, I would die in the presence of a beautiful woman, so it wouldn't be a complete waste." He winked at her again and she giggled.   
  
"What do you want, Kudou?" Ran asked, his voice tight with anger.   
  
"Easy, easy. Unfortunately, this is no time for me to play. Manx is at the shop and she wants to talk to us..." He glanced sideways at Aya, who was looking extremely interested in their conversation. "...about a large order of flowers for a wedding." He finished lamely.   
  
Ran snorted and Aya rolled her eyes.   
  
"Good save, Youji-san, I really don't suspect anything now." Aya said sardonically.   
  
Youji grinned and shrugged. "Why would you suspect anything of four handsome young florists?" He asked innocently.   
  
Ran was already on his feet, digging out some money to pay the bill. "Get up Kudou and stop flirting with my little sister." He said dangerously before throwing a handful of bills on the table. He then turned his attention to his little sister. "Aya-chan, I'm sorry to leave so abruptly, will you be okay getting back home?"   
  
"Oh, I don't know, onee-san, I might not be able to cross the streets without someone to hold my hand." She simpered.   
  
He sighed. "Good. I'll see you later."   
  
She blew both of them kisses, but Ran pushed Youji away before he could recieve his. 

* * *

Ken waited until Ran and Youji clambored down the spiral staircase before he asked Manx why she had rounded them all up. The red head sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, seeking to relieve some of the tension caused by spending the day being screamed at. "We'll have to wait for one more person before you'll get your answer Ken-san." She said, her voice hinting at her fatigue.   
  
Ken looked around the room. Ran, Youji and Omi were all seated and waiting like he was. "One more person?" He asked.   
  
She nodded. She was about to say more when a door slammed above them and someone began descending the stairs. "Speak of the devil." She said, dryly.   
  
Korat stepped into the room and grinned at Manx. "What a dramatic introduction, Manx." She said lightly.   
  
She looked around the room at the four young men who were currently gawking at her. Ran was the only one who did not look completely surprised to see her. "Good evening, Weiss. My name, as you may have already deduced," she looked directly at Ran with a small smile, "is Korat, and I have a mission for you." 


End file.
